Wishful Thinking II(Or Another Idea For How Season 4 Could End)
by letitbeme
Summary: Yeah, I thought of another one. I'm fairly certain this is almost even more disgustingly sweet than the first one. Season 3 spoilers.


After all the hell that had broken loose in the previous weeks, everyone was back in Hawkins ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. The families involved got decent-sized compensation checks from the government for their help(some parents had to be lied to about the money in order to keep everything under wraps). Hopper had used some of his money to buy a bigger house for himself, El and the Byers' to live in and this house was where the entire party and their families came to celebrate the holiday.

The kids were all hanging out upstairs milling around waiting for the food to be ready when Mike came back out of the bathroom, snuck up behind El and wrapped his arms around her waist making her jump.

"Mike, you scared me!" El said laughing at her boyfriend.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Mike said in a half-sincere tone.

They both turned to look at each other, before El's smile faded a little and she said, "Well, it's official, I think my powers are gone for good."

Mike was disappointed but wanted to be there for her, "I'm sorry, El."

"I actually don't mind that much. Yeah, I'll miss them, but now I'll know what it's like to be a normal kid."

"Whatever normal is."

"Yeah...Mike, there's something I wanted to tell you about." El said nervously.

"What is it?"

"Remember that last blast that threw me back and knocked me out?"

Mike got scared reliving the moment that he thought killed the love of his life, "Yeah, I remember."

"Well...I saw something while I was unconscious, I think it was like...a vision of the future."

"What was it?"

"Well...it was like a series of images...the first was us, a little older, you were on one knee holding up a ring and I have a big smile with tears in my eyes."

"Really?" Mike said softly with a smile of his own forming.

Seeing Mike's reaction, El started to feel less nervous and continued, "The next one was us a bit older...getting married. You looked very handsome in your tux and I think I looked beautiful in my dress."

Mike considered saying she would look beautiful in anything but instead asked, "What else was there?"

"One last one, it was us, yet again, a little older sitting on a couch...holding a baby."

Hearing such a beautiful vision of their future together, Mike was a little emotionally caught up for words. After clearing his throat a couple times to hold back the tears, he eventually said, "That sounds like a great future."

El was happy that this didn't scare him away and started getting choked up herself, "You think so?"

"Yeah, it's exactly the future I want for us. Let's hope we'll be moving our way towards it."

El started letting out some tears and leaned in to Mike for a kiss. As they were kissing, they didn't know Dustin and Suzie had walked in until he said, "Oh, please, I'm gonna lose my appetite" snapping the lovebirds out of their haze and making them jump.

"Oh, Dusty-Bun, I think they're sweet and romantic" Suzie said, teasing her own boyfriend.

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" Joyce yelled from downstairs.

* * *

They had to get an extra big table due to the number of people at the house, but they made everyone fit. Joyce had brought out the turkey and everyone was ready to dig in when Mike stood up tapping his glass with his knife.

"Hey everyone, before we start eating, I'd actually like to propose a toast." he said, leading everyone to lift up their glasses after him.

"To the people we love, may it be platonic, familial or romantic. It's important to know another person cares that much about you and, god willing, they'll love you back just as much if not more. And I can safely say to everyone at this table...I love every last one of you."

There were a few people wiping away tears(Mike even noticed Steve getting misty-eyed) and everyone said, "To the people we love!"

At the head of the table, Hopper then decided to speak up, "Even though I don't want to postpone the eating too much, I have something to say too." He then turned next to him where Joyce was sitting grabbing a hold of her hand.

"Joyce, during the time I was stuck in that Russian hellhole, you were one of the thoughts that kept me alive. I held out hope that I would come home and see you again. Tell you how I truly felt, tell you all the things I was too much of an idiot to say before. I love you, Joyce, and I never want to let you go. So," he said, getting down on one knee pulling something out of his sweater pocket surprising everyone and getting a few gasps. He opened the box revealing a ring and asked, "Joyce Byers," He got choked up but continued, "w-will you marry me?"

Joyce had the biggest smile ever with her eyes wide open and tears rolling down her cheeks, "Ji-, Ho-, Ji-...Yes, yes, of course I'll marry you!"

Hopper slid the ring on her finger and pulled her in for a kiss and a hug as the whole table erupted in cheers and applause, Mike even saw Will and El start hugging each other, obviously happy they were gonna be even more of a real family. It was all such a beautiful moment, Mike resisted the urge to make a joke about Hopper stealing his thunder.

The happy couple separated and they sat down, Hopper quickly said, "All right, enough mushy stuff, let's get the food moving, I'm starving."

As the food was being passed around and everyone started eating, Mike looked around at all the people there that day, his family, the Byers, The Sinclairs, The Hendersons, Max, Steve, and Robin, and he realized something. These people weren't just a big group that had gone through Hell together, they were a family all their own that would always be there for each other and even as Lucas and Erica flicked peas at each other, Dustin and Suzie made goo-goo eyes and got mocked without mercy by Lucas and Max, Will and El whispered secrets to each other, the dads all tried to watch the football game from the dining room and he grabbed the hand of El, his future wife, sitting next to him, planning to hold it as long as possible, Mike thought that, just this once, this might be as close to perfect as humanly possible.

* * *

btw, I figured Max, Steve, and Robin's parents wouldn't come to a dinner like or care if their kids did so I didn't include them. It's not that bad considering.


End file.
